subject: How Houston and Dallas Area College Students Save Extra Money on Their Bills [print this page] How Houston and Dallas Area College Students Save Extra Money on Their Bills
One of the most surprising expenses that young people face when first living on their own is the cost of utilities. Without a little planning and forethought students can wind up paying hundreds extra in power, phone, water, Internet, and cable bills. There are tips and techniques that can be used to mitigate the costs of these utilities to make living on your own much less expensive. This article concentrates primarily on Houston and Dallas students, but most of the information is useful no matter where you live.
Energy Efficiency
One way to save money is to make finding an energy efficient home a priority. When shopping for a place to live look for newer apartments or houses. They are more likely to have been built to be more energy efficient than older buildings. Don't be afraid to ask what sort of appliances are in furnished homes. Look for Energy Star products, because they've been tested and rated for efficiency. A well insulated, energy efficient apartment combined with a little energy conservation can allow you to live for cheap in Dallas or Houston.
Conservation Tips
Regardless of how energy efficient your appliances may be it is still cheaper not to use them if possible. Air drying dishes and clothes is a great way to reduce an electric bill. If you use a dryer make certain that its lint filter stays clean to reduce the power needed to dry clothes and use a moisture sensor if the machine has one. Also take advantage of the cool down cycle to use residual heat to finish drying clothes. Washing and drying only full loads makes the machines more cost effective. Another way for Dallas and Houston students to save money is to make their next computer upgrade an energy efficient laptop rather than a desktop model.
Unplug as many electronics as possible when they aren't in use, 75% of the energy consumed by electronics happens while they aren't even in use! A convenient method to do this is to invest in power strips. Simply turning the power strip off prevents TVs, DVRs, or other household devices from drawing power when not in use. The savings is considerable and every bit helps when you are just starting out.
Heating and Cooling
Texas has scorching summers and can have freezing winters, so it's important that Houston students and their Dallas counterparts learn how to get the most for their money with heating and cooling bills. It goes without saying that using fans can help with hot weather, but ceiling fans allow residents to raise their thermostat by four degrees without noticing a loss of cooling effect. In the winter ceiling fans can be used to circulate warmer air downward to allow more efficient use of the heating. Insulating hot water heater pipes can also save Houston and Dallas students considerably on their monthly energy bills.
Likewise, make sure heating ducts are insulated. Up to 60% percent of the heating or cooling effects of a homes heating and air conditioning system can be lost to conduction. Clean or replace filters on furnaces once a month or as needed. If the living space uses radiators, placing a heat resistant reflective barrier between the radiator and the wall can greatly increase heating efficiency. These are relatively simple steps that can help students live for cheap in Houston, Dallas or virtually anywhere.
Windows
With a relatively small investment people can make their living space more energy efficient. By applying sun control film to south facing windows a tremendous amount of radiant heat is blocked during the summer. White blinds or curtains also act to keep out radiant heat and lower its impact on the home's internal temperature. If necessary, clear plastic can be installed over drafty windows in the winter to save as much as 10% on energy bills. In cold weather, closing curtains and shades at night conserves heat.
Bright Ideas
Using the proper lighting can save Dallas and Houston students significantly on their monthly bills. Replacing incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs can decrease your lighting costs by 50%. During winter leaving south facing curtains open not only illuminates a room, but provides a measure of natural heating as well. Turning off lights when no one is in a room is a time honored method of cutting costs. Another helpful trick to living cheap in Dallas or Houston is to use light colored paints on walls to maximize the effect of lighting.
Compare Providers
If you're trying to live cheap in Houston or Dallas, take advantage of the competition between utilities to find the least expensive provider. This is a quick, easy process that can save money year round. There are a number of sites that allow fast comparisons between regional providers. A few minutes on the Internet used to compare rates can save students literally hundreds of dollars.
Water
Nothing is taken for granted quite like water. That is until the end of the month when the bill comes. Taking short showers instead of baths or avoiding draining the tank are fairly straightforward methods to save on both water and electricity. Another great saver is lowering your water heater's temperature to 120 degrees. Notice and repair leaky faucets. They may seem innocuous, but an amazing amount of water can be lost through "just a leak". Installing an aerating, low flow shower head can dramatically lower your water consumption.
General Utilities
When looking for phone, Internet, and cable services shop around. Most companies offer all three services as part of bundled packages. This saves money, but go the extra mile and ask the representative what promotions are being offered or if there is any way to drop the cost some. Chances are there are, but utilities are businesses and they aren't going to voluntarily hurt their "bottom line". Through using energy saving modifications, a little conservation, and negotiation, students can live much more cheaply.
